The Rain and the River
by ArtemisDianaApollo
Summary: Its raining outside and Bubbles decides to call Boomer. What will happen on the resulting trip?


**Wow, its been a while since I wrote a fanfiction, hasn't it? I've actually had this one in the works for over a year, but I kept getting stumped on it, and I only just got around to finishing it.**

**By the way, I don't own the Powerpuff Girls or any characters from the series. I don't even own the Aster Cafe, it's a real coffee shop by the Stone Arch Bridge in St. Paul, Minnesota. I love that place, so if you're ever in town, you should really try it!  
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Bubbles Utonium sat in her room one Monday afternoon in late August, a few days before school was due to start, staring out her bedroom window at a rainstorm that was practically half-hurricane. She was stuck there, all alone. Buttercup was at the gym, hanging out with a few of her guy friends, Blossom was at a sleep-over with some of _her_ friends, and the Professor was at the last day of a three-day long science convention and had taken the car, so even if she knew how to drive, which, much to her dismay she was still a few months too young for, she would still be stuck here. Sighing she picked up her cellphone, turning away from the window as she did, to look through her address book. The first name on the list was Boomer Rowdyruff. The blue Powerpuff smiled at the memory of the day he gave it to her.

-flashback-about three months earlier-

It was the end of 8th grade, right before this summer had started. Boomer walked up to Bubbles, who was standing at her locker, cleaning it out.

"Hey Bubbles," he said, "still cleaning out your locker?"

"Of coarse, wouldn't want whoever gets it next year to have to deal with my mess" she said as she pulled out a paper towel and started wiping up the bits of crayons and pencils.

He chuckled, "You and your sisters, ever the goodie-two-shoes," he said with a smirk.

"Better not let Buttercup hear you saying that, wouldn't want the school boxing champ mad at you, now would you?" Bubbles joked. Buttercup had become the school boxing champ after the Professor had insisted they let her on the previously all-boys boxing team.

"Oh, I think I could take her in a fight," he said, acting all smug.

Bubbles grinned, "Sure you could, just like you and your brothers used to take my sisters and I all the time before the truancy officers threatened to send you to Juvie if you didn't clean up your act and go to school! Oh, wait a minuet, I just remembered something! You Rowdy-Ruffs never won a battle against us now did you?" I teased.

"Details, details! Its been years since then, I could totally take her now!" he protested.

She smiled and shook her head, "Sure you could Boomer" she said sarcastically, then glanced at her watch. "Sorry, Boomer, but I've really got to go. Its pizza night and we leave for Pizzeria as soon as my sisters and I get home." Boomer just smiled.

"Say no more Bubbles, just take this," he said, thrusting a piece of notebook paper at her. As she raised an eyebrow at him and he told her, "Its my cell phone number, call me if you're bored or something." then he walked off to join his bothers, who had just rounded the corner and were heading for the doors.

-end flashback-

She hadn't seen him since. Looking at the number again, she thought, 'Well, he did say to call him if I was bored...' thought the Puff, 'but Blossom and Buttercup won't be happy if they find out not only are you friends with Boomer, but you willingly called him, for no reason at all, in the middle of a storm like this!' the part of her brain that often spoke in Blossom's voice reasoned. That was true, they'd told the blue puff to stay away from Boomer, and since then, well, let's just say she is considerably better at pretending to hate a good friend then she was at the beginning of the year.

The blond kept staring at the number for a bit longer, arguing with herself. Finally she sighed and dialed his number, after all, they hadn't spoken in ages and she knew it was very likely she wouldn't get a chance like this ever again.

After a few rings Boomer picked up, "Hi Bubbles," he said, "long time no see, well hear anyways."

Bubbles sighed in relief, she'd been so afraid that one of his brothers would pick up, that would be awfully hard to explain. Evidently he heard her, as he said, "Why do you sound so relived to hear me? Not that I mind," he added.

"I was a little afraid one of your brothers would pick up. That would be a little hard to explain!" she said.

He chuckled, and Bubbles could practically hear him smirking over the phone, "No need to worry about that, they hardly ever answer their own phones, they'd never answer mine. Anyways, I'm guessing you called because your home all alone and your bored, right?"

"What are you, psychic?" the Powerpuff asked.

"Nah, Butch got invited to join some of his friends to go to the gym, and he just happened to mention that Buttercup would be there, and Brick and some friends are crashing a sleep-over that Brick was especially excited Blossom would be at, as that means he gets to annoy her." he laughed.

Bubbles giggled, "How is it the four of them always seem to end up together? If I didn't know any better I'd think they were-" she trailed off as Boomer cut in.

"-planning it?" Boomer interrupted, completing her sentence for her, "I've been thinking that too, they seem like they're at least on speaking terms with their counterpart."

"I've been thinking that too. Last week Blossom came back from the library, I swear I heard her say "bye Brick!" before she walked in. And Buttercup has been a lot more cheerful than usual lately, for Buttercup anyways. But the chances of all of us secretly being friends with our counterpart are pretty small." said the blue Powerpuff.

"Yeah, but Butch and Brick have been acting weird lately too. Anyways, you want to get out of your house?" he asked.

"Sure, but I don't see how, the storm is horrible and we're too young to drive yet." she answered.

"You mean they don't trust superheros to drive after all you've done for them!" he said sarcastically.

"They do have to set some standards, and Blossom insists on following as many civilian rules as possible, even if we could easily break them without causing harm to anyone." answered the Puff.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised." he answered.

"That still doesn't solve the transportation issue though." she continued.

"Bubbles, the storm has really died down, if you don't mind we could fly there., we wouldn't get very wet." he said.

Bubbles glanced out the window and was surprised to see the storm had become a slow drizzle in the time since she had turned away from the window. "Wow it really has died down," she said, "its fine by me, where were you thinking of going?"

"There's this cafe by the river in the more artsy area of town I've been meaning to show you, I think you'll love it. We could go there," he suggested.

"Sounds great! What's it called?" she asked.

"The Aster Cafe. I'll meet you at your house in a bit, okay." he answered.

"Okay, see you in a bit then!" Bubbles said as she hung up.

A few moments later there was a streak of blue light and the doorbell rang. The Powerpuff Girl's heart fluttered at the thought of finally seeing him again and as she flew to the door she began to realize exactly how much she had missed him.

Bubbles opened the door and there was Boomer, his hair had grown out of its spikes over the years and now simply flipped away from his ocean blue eyes. He was considerably more tan than when the Puff last saw him, probably from days in the sun. He held out his arm jokingly, saying, "Shall we?" the girl smiled and she nodded in consent, and off they went.

-The Aster Cafe-

A few moments later Bubbles and Boomer touched down outside of an older looking brown building that faced a brick street and a beautiful tree-lined river. A green sign on the building read, "Aster" in gold lettering. Music could be heard playing inside.

"This is the place," said Boomer as he opened the door to let Bubbles in.

Boomer and Bubbles went up to the wooden, bar-style counter. "What looks good?" asked Boomer, indicating the signs behind the bar that were done in the same style as the one outside.

"There's so much to choose from, I can't decide!" said Bubbles as she took in the little cafe.

"Hm...how about a moccachino?" suggested Boomer.

"Alright," replied Bubbles, as a waitress came up to the pair of blondes.

"May I take you order?" asked the waitress.

"One moccachino and one black coffee please," answered Boomer.

"Coming right up," said the waitress as Bubbles wandered closer to the musicians, "You're girlfriend is really pretty," added the waitress.

"Oh, she's not my girlfriend," corrected Boomer. The waitress just smiled a strangely knowing smile and went to make the drinks.

The waitress handed Boomer the two drinks, and he handed her a wad of cash. He set the drinks over on a table and Bubbles came over to sit with him.

They sat their for a bit, Bubbles quietly sipping her drink as she surveyed the cafe, Boomer watching Bubbles, waiting for the normally very chatty Powerpuff to speak. Giving up, Boomer stated, "Well, you're awfully quiet,"

"Oh, I'm sorry Boomer. Its just this place is so beautiful!" she exclaimed.

"I knew you'd like it," commented Boomer.

They chatted for a few minuets as they drank their coffee. Then the group playing the music started another song. This one was light and jazzy. Bubbles stood up, "Come on Boomer, let's dance!" she said.

Boomer looked down at his feet, "No thanks, Bubbles, I don't dance," he stated.

"Why not? Its so fun!" Bubbles asked.

"I-I don't know how to dance Bubbles. I'm terrible," Boomer sighed.

"You can't be that bad Boomer. I'll teach you," she encouraged, but Boomer only shook his head, so Bubbles added, "Please, for me?"

It was then that Boomer made his mistake, he looked up at Bubbles, intending to look her in the eyes this time as he refused, but instead, found himself staring into Bubbles' beautiful eyes, that alone might have been enough to sway him, but she had gone farther. Her beautiful features were twisted into a puppy-dog face, and he just couldn't turn her down. "Fine," he said, allowing Bubbles to pull him out of his chair. The ecstatic look on her face was definitely worth the impending embarrassment.

Bubbles helped Boomer dance around the small space with her, and he quickly went from stepping-on-her-toes-more-walking-then-dancing terrible, to absolutely amazing for a beginner. Boomer found himself smiling and he was almost sad when the dance ended. He heard clapping and he blinked, he'd completely forgotten that there were other people here. "They...liked our dancing?" Boomer asked.

"Yep," smiled Bubbles, "You're sure you've never danced before?"

"Definitely," replied Boomer, "Have you ever been for a walk down this river?" asked the Rowdyruff.

Shaking her head, Bubbles told him, "No, not at this part of it anyways."

"Come on then, its the best part of the river, you should see it," stated Boomer as he led her down the river.

Smiling, Bubbles followed him, but they had only walked for five minuets when her phone rang. Sighing, the Powerpuff answered it, telling Boomer, "Its the Professor, I have to take this." As she spoke into the phone, Boomer gazed out at the river, knowing she was probably about to be called home. When Bubbles hung up and turned to him with a sad look in her eyes, he knew that he was right before she even said it. "Don't tell me, you have to go home now, right?" he asked.

The girl nodded, "Mojo Jojo is using some robot of his to rob a bank, and the girls and I need to go stop him. Sorry."

Shrugging, Boomer told her, "Hey, you're a superhero, its part of the job description. I had a feeling something like this would happen."

"Yeah, but I still feel bad about leaving. This was really fun." sighed Bubbles as she placed a kiss on his cheek and flew off to save the day.

Bright red, Boomer rubbed the kissed cheek and flew off, knowing that if his brothers were home by now and saw him like this, he was going to get the worst teasing of his life, but not really caring that much.

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**Did you like it? Please review!**


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